"Don't feel pressured. My Younger Brother Yazi is lazy, but you did bring news of the Ratfolk."
Princess Sails had just returned from the Palace Gardens. Annan realized the Royal Family had summoned him because of her.
Tomorrow's visit to the gardens won't go smoothly... Annan thought. The Royal Family had withdrawn the warrant and even sent Faru Barros and a Legendary Mage to invite him, but Princess Sails had been away from the Royal Capital for too long. Bad information led to bad judgments.
The Royal Capital now felt like an oversized Hive City to Annan. He had no way of knowing whether the next person he met was a Ratfolk.
Annan suddenly asked the princess, "Why did you come back?"
Princess Sails pressed her red lips together. "Because... it's all over."
There seemed to be more to it, judging by the sadness on the Head Maid's face. Annan guessed it had something to do with Princess Sails's late husband. "Have you noticed anything strange since returning to the Royal Capital?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Something about the Royal Capital doesn't feel right to me..."
"That's because you're an outsider to the Nobles."
Princess Sails saw things the same way Klein did. A sixth of the Kingdom's territory had fallen, but that was no great concern. As long as the Royal Capital stood, they could reclaim it whenever they wished. That thinking reflected the Royal Capital as a whole.
Assuming they were still themselves.
Where they had an instinctive trust, Annan had an instinctive distrust.
Few people knew the Ratfolk were infiltrating the Kingdom, and Annan was one of them. But he could not voice a suspicion that would cause turmoil and put him in danger. *Then what are you, First Prince, who had your own Younger